: Scientology: The German Connection

Scientology: The German Connection
From: Rob Judd  <judd@alphalink.com.au>
Subject: Scientology: The German Connection
Date: 1999/04/02
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Scientology: The German Connection

Ref: http://www.freezone.org/e_toc.htm

According to the German FreeZone pages, in 1934 a Dr. A. Nordenholz wrote
"Scientologie: Wissenschaft von der Beschaffenheit und der Tauglichkeit des
Wissens" or "Scientology: Science of the constitution and usefulness of
knowledge", which was published in a limited printing in Munich. A second book,
"Scientology: A system of knowledge and science" was published in 1937.

Anastasius Nordenholz was born on Feb 1, 1862 in Buenos Aires as the son of a
German Consul. He became a farmer, a doctor of law and philosophy, and lived in
Germany from 1878 until after World War I. According to the publisher's blurb in
the 1937 book:

"Already in the early days of his career he was convinced of the idea -
meanwhile universally acknowledged - that it is necessary to protect the best
and most valuable human specimens in their struggle for life by
"race-betterment". In 1904 he founded together with the physician and Dr. phil.
"honoris causa" Alfred Ploetz (born 1860) the highly estimated and still
existing periodical "Archiv für Rassen und Gesellschaftsbiologie" wherein he
published articles of his own. Dr. Ploetz was the one who first introduced the
term "race-betterment" into science."

When looked at from the point of view of the material universe, and if taken
stupidly literally, these words could be seen as the core of Nazism.


          ***************************************

Nordenholz' relatives have stated:


"It is rather impossible that my grandfather knew Mr. Hubbard, or that he
even had contact with him by letter. At the end of the 40's, my grandfather
lived in seclusion at his country residence near Rosario and had little contact
with the outside world".

Did L. Ron Hubbard even know of these works ? As unlikely as it sounds given his
wide background reading in philosophy and breadth of travel - LRH did survey
tours of South America - I would have to say no. These obscure works of an
Argentinian-born German are unlikely to have come to Ron's notice, since the
1934 book was a run of 600 published privately in German only, and the second
was probably no larger.

Whether Hitler is likely to have been directly influenced by Nordenholz's work
is anyone's guess. If he read philosophical works at all it was more likely to
have been those of Schopenhauer and Kant anyhow, since these were primary
reference sources in Germany early in the 20th century.

Hubbard's choice of the word Scientology for his new science - he had already
called it Scientology prior to the 1954 formation of the church, by the way - is
natural given the well-used root words Scio and Logos. That someone else had
already made that obvious conjugation earlier, in another language, is hardly
surprising.

Hubbard's works eerily create the science predicted by Nordenholz, however:

Raising the question "what can we know, what must be known about knowledge to
justify the world?", Nordenholz calls for a "science of knowledge" thusly,
creating the term 'Scientology'(pg. 1). "The task of Scientology is the erection
of the systems of knowledge, of understanding, of comprehension per se.
Knowledge is the common material of all other sciences. It follows therefore
that the science of knowledge itself is the key-science of the overall system of
the sciences of the world. All other sciences of the world have the science of
knowledge as their presuppositions...". (pg. 4)


         *****************************************

Scientology's problems in Germany have less to do with philosophical differences
than is realised. Modern Germany has long since put the acts of it's
grandparents behind it, and despite a neo-nazi lunatic fringe - which in some
respects reflects British punk rock and Gothic body mutilation - the core issue
is the apparent inextricability of church and state in Deutschland. You see, the
official state religion is Lutheranism, and that's the law. Right about now,
most of Germany is busy painting hen's eggs and hiding them all over the garden
for the children to find, in an Easter tradition which goes way back to pagan
fertility rituals. You don't throw that all away for something new, unless
there's a good reason.

For the German FreeZone to claim a connection between Hubbard's Scientology and
the earlier works of Nordenholz is tenuous at best, and dishonest at worst.
Given their position as an organisation founded by long-time Scientologist Capt.
Bill Robertson using technology based on that of Hubbard, it also becomes
obfuscating and blatantly dishonest, but perhaps also understandable. Capt.
Robertson passed away in 1991, and others of lesser stature had taken over prior
to this website's appearance. In an effort to fend off legal moves and remain an
alternative to the church they had to find some semblence of respectability, and
making this connection -  while smacking of desperation - is indeed a stroke of
genius. Demented genius I might add, but genius nonetheless.

I doubt that Capt. Bill would have approved, but I feel LRH may have just had a
good laugh and dredged up his story about Pedrito the Brazillian Nazi, who
caused him so much trouble by being his physical double. But that's another
story, you'll have to listen to tape "Time Track of  Theta" 5203C10 for that
one. Don't believe this anecdote literally though. Brazileros speak Portugese,
not Spanish.

"Já foi môço, já gozei a mocidade ..."

Curiouser and curiouser. Yes, Scientology is indeed the greatest story ever
told.

Rob Judd
Clear 13611
Scientologist since 1975